Local Update from Dr. Elizabeth Urbantke – April 17, 2020

Below is a transcribed version of the statement made by Dr. Elizabeth Urbantke, Acting Medical Officer of Health, on April 17, 2020.

I usually begin these briefings by giving extended statistics related to COVID-19. These statistics are now available on our website and are updated daily at 11 a.m. I’d urge you to go there to find them if you haven’t done so already. [Some posted above]

Over the past week, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brant have settled and we’ve experienced a much more gradual increase. It’s important to be cautiously optimistic at this point, but we must keep in mind that this is not over yet. Due to COVID-19’s prolonged clinical course, we are still experiencing cases and hospitalizations.

This pandemic is proving to be like a marathon and we are all just beginning the race. But just as any athlete would, Brant has and continues to prepare for the road ahead.

By washing our hands, physical distancing and staying home, our community has shown a collective commitment to these essential efforts. Doing so means we’ll all reach the finish line together and healthy.

I’d also like to remind residents that now is not the time to be visiting cottages, cabins or camps in remote areas. While it may be tempting to leave urban centres for more isolated places, doing so can place significant strain on cottage country’s healthcare systems and essential resources.

Again, we understand that this is an interruption to how we live our daily lives, but we all need to watch out for each other and we can best do that by staying in areas that have the infrastructure set up to support larger groups of people.